2002 Gulbarg Society riot case: special prosecutor quits

Manisha Luvkumar, Special Public Prosecutor in the 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre case, has quit. "I have sent my resignation to the state home department on February 11," advocate Luvkumar said here.

The state government today told the sessions court that it wanted to appoint advocate Ajay Choksi to replace her.

Advocate Choksi had earlier represented the government in Naroda Gam and Prantij riot cases of Sabarkantha where a British National was killed. He had also represented suspended DIG, D G Vanjhara in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, and suspended ADGP, P P Pande in Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.

In a letter to the home department, Luvkumar said, "I am seeking recusal from the post... The personal charges levelled against me are are baseless and reckless and have been made to deviate the legal process and to ensure that the legitimate process is subverted."

The resignation is being seen as a response to the statement of Tanveer Jafri, son of the former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the 2002 riots. In his anticipatory bail plea in connection with an embezzlement case, Jafri accused Luvkumar of "conflict of interest". "The special public prosecutor, who has been appearing in the Gulbarg case on state's behalf, has also appeared for Rais Khan in other case. This shows conflict of interest," Jafri had said.

A police complaint has been filed against Jafri, Gulbarg society chairman Salim Sandhi, society's secretary Feroz Gulzar, social activists Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand for embezzlement to the tune of Rs 1.51 crore. The complainant Feroz khan and Mohammed Sharif, former residents of Gulbarg society, allege that Zafri, Teesta and others misused the foreign funds collected for riot-victims.

During the 2002 riots, 69 people including Ehsan Jafri were killed when a mob attacked the Gulbarg Society.